2025 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Betting

NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Betting

Rookies in the NFL are never a sure thing, despite the intense and thorough pre-draft process teams put them through. Many view Abdul Carter as a can’t miss prospect which is why the third overall pick by the New York Giants in the 2025 draft opened as the betting favorite to win the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award. The most intriguing player is Travis Hunter, who is expected to play both offense and defense with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Hunter excelled on both sides of the football last year winning the Heisman Trophy, but the NFL is much different and the abuse could hinder his chances at winning. There are factors that will determine who wins the honor. First is how players are utilized by their teams. Also important is the quality of the team itself. A rookie defender is going to draw much more attention playing for a playoff contender.

NFL Season Futures Odds

NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Betting Odds

First round draft picks and edge rushers have an advantage in the Defensive Rookie of the Year race giving Carter a leg up on the competition. He’s also a talented player making him the early front-runner. Of course a lot can happen over the course of a season, but six of the last nine winners have been on the edge and 32 of the past 35 winners were drafted in the first round.

Selected by the Giants third overall, Carter had a monster season at Penn State in 2024 winning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in addition to unanimous All-America recognition. Carter was the national leader with 23.5 TFLs while also recording 12 sacks. He has a chance to turn around a Giants team that won just three games in 2024.

Drafted 15th overall by the Atlanta Falcons, Jalon Walker can have an impact on the award if he can pressure the opposing quarterback. The Falcons have been awful in that area in recent years forcing them to use two first-round picks on potential solutions. Walker registered 6.5 sacks and 11 TFLs last season winning the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker.

The No. 2 overall pick by Jacksonville, it’s expected that Travis Hunter will get a shot playing on both sides of the football. He’s a ridiculous talent pulling off the same feat at Colorado to win the Heisman Trophy. But the thought is playing ironman football will diminish his effectiveness resulting in lesser numbers.

Defensive Rookie of the Year Winners (2000)

Selected 19th overall by the Los Angeles Rams in 2024, Jared Verse was the fourth favorite on this list last year but rose to win the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award. He was part of a young Rams defense that helped win the NFC West crown and advance to the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Verse had 66 tackles, 11 TFLs and 4.5 sacks while also leading the team in QB hits, pressures and hurries.

The New York Jets have had the most NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year winners. In 2022, Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner became the fifth Jet to be named NFL DROY, breaking a three-way tie with Kansas City and San Francisco.

Micah Parsons was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2021, becoming the first player on the Dallas Cowboys ever to earn the honor. Parsons had 13 sacks and was named First Team All-Pro, quickly becoming one of the stars of the defense. He finished runner-up in NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2022.

The Bosa brothers both were named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Older brother Joey Bosa won this award over Jalen Ramsey in 2016, and Nick Bosa was an even bigger winner in 2019, although he had the third-most sacks of any rookie that year.

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